This invention relates to perfume-containing carriers which significantly enhance the substantivity of perfume to laundered fabrics. More particularly, this invention relates to particulate detergent compositions which include as a component thereof a perfume-containing carrier which is able to impart a pleasing perfume fragrance to the finished laundered fabrics with only minimal amounts of perfume.
Perfume substances which modify or enhance the aroma of detergent compositions or impart a pleasing aroma thereto are well-known in the art. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,131,555 and 4,228,026, are illustrative of patents which describe substances intended to impart a pleasing aroma or fragrance to liquid and granular detergent compositions. The described methods of preparation consist of mixing the perfume substances, in solid form, with the prepared detergent compositions to form a homogeneous composition. Perfumes which are in liquid form are conventionally added to liquid detergent compositions as a component thereof or sprayed upon the surface of granular detergent compositions. However, detergent compositions which are thus prepared are unable to impart a perfume fragrance to the fabrics being laundered notwithstanding the enhanced aroma of the composition itself. Primarily, this is because the perfume substances in the detergent composition are rapidly dispersed and diluted during laundering in the aqueous wash solution along with the water-soluble components of the detergent composition. Consequently, only a relatively minor amount of the perfume is available to contact and adhere to the fabric being laundered, the major portion of the perfume being drained from the washing machine with the wash solution during the wash cycle. Moreover, to the extent that some perfume is still in contact with the fabric after the washing operation, it tends to be dissipated subsequently during drying, such as, for example, in a gas or electric dryer in which the washed fabrics are tumbled at relatively high temperatures. As a result, fabrics laundered with conventional detergent compositions generally retain only a very faint perfume fragrance which has no particular aesthetic appeal to the user. There is, therefore, a need in the art for an additive to conventional detergent compositions which can effectively provide a perfume fragrance to fabrics being laundered such that the finished laundered fabrics have added appeal to the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,373 discloses a fabric conditioning article for use in an automatic washer or dryer consisting of a sealed water-in-soluble pouch containing what is described as a softener/antistat composition. In Example II of the patent, there is described a preparation procedure for such antistat composition wherein clay and solid perfume are mixed and the mixture then blended with sprayed particles of certain quaternary ammonium salts. The resulting composition is then filled into a sealed polyester pouch.